Zellweger escapes injury in Detroit car crash

Posted Friday, July 11, 2003 at 1:23 PM Central

by John Couture

I hope rising Hollywood starlet Renee Zellweger isn't the superstitious type. On the same week that she signed her biggest Hollywood deal to date, $21 million to star in the Bridget Jones sequel and Cinderella Man with Russell Crowe, Renee was involved in a car accident in Detroit.

I know what you're asking yourselves, what was Renee Zellweger doing in Detroit? Well, besides being a good place to pack on the pounds necessary for her to reprise her role in Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason, it happens to be the hometown of her rumored boyfriend. Unfortunately, he didn't walk away unscathed.

Jack White, lead singer of the rock band The White Stripes, was driving his Hollywood girlfriend around his hometown on his birthday (July 9) when the accident occured. The singer/guitarist suffered a compound fracture to his index finger on his left hand which has forced The White Stripes to cancel two key European dates for this weekend.

White and Zellweger met on the set of the film Cold Mountain, a highly touted film due to be released this Christmas, where they played husband and wife. White also contributed American Folk music to the movie's soundtrack.